Reserve fuel control system



Aug. 22 1939. E M. GAVIN RESERVE FUEL CONTROL SYSTEM F'iled Feb. 15, 1939 /NVENTOR EdwardMGm Zn HTTORNEY Patented Au'g.

UNITED STATES, PATENT oFFicE Application February 15,

1939, Serial No. 256,465

5 Claims. (01. its-46.5)

-. (Granted under the at or March a,

amended April 30, 1928; 3 70 G. 757) trolled for placing one of the tanks in communi- ,cation with the carbureter and to cut off the other tanks from communication with the carbureter and to automatically cause one of the other tanks to be placed in communicationthrough a fuel pump-with the carbureter of the engine of the vehicle upon a preceding tank bewhich is durable and not coming empty.

Another object of the invention is to provide an-automatic and manual fuel control system which may be readily attached to vehicles now in use having multiple fuel tanks, whichis substantially simple in construction and operation and liable to get' out 'of order, x j

Brieflystated, this inventionconsiists of a plu-' rality of fuel tanks includinga main tank provided on a vehicle, a selector valve adapted to-be manually operated to cause one fuel tank and then. another vto be placed in communication through a'. fuel pump with the carbureter of the engine of the vehicle, and to cut off the other tanks from communication with the carbureter and fuel pressureoperated meansconnected in communication with a fuel tank with the carbureter through the fuel pump and also with the carbureter without passing through the fuel pump for causing the last mentioned tank to be auto-- matically placed in communication with the carbur'eter through the fuel pump upon another tank becoming empty of fuel or substantially so, anfi the fuel. flowing ,to the carbureter through the fuel pump has been reduced to apredetermined amount and to prevent communication of the fuel tank with the fuel pumpupon the fuel pressure being increased by the c'hanging over from atank which has become empty to a tankcontaining fuel.

with the above and other objects and advan- ,tages int-view, the invention consists of certain features of construction and operation of parts which will hereinafter appear, and in whichas de-elevating. P y n est on, of

.its' bottom, end by a cap 2| and ispro vided with -'a partition 22, which forms an upper and lower cation with the supply pipe 2 by the branch con trol passage or outlet, formed in a selector or 1 distributing multi-way valve 5, which is rotatable in the valve casing or bodyi, asillustrated in Fig. 2. The valve 5 is provided with a handle i,v whereby the valve may be manually turned to,a selective position. The body ,8 'of the valve 5 is provided with inlet ports I, Hand 9, which are connected in communication with. a plurality of fuel tanks, including a main tank l0 and reserve tanks II and I2 by conduits l3, l4 and i5, respectively. 0

The selector valve 5, which is rotatably mounted in the casing 6 is provided with a fuel passageway It which leads from the outlet port 4 of the valve to the outer periphery thereof, whereby upon rotative movement of the'valve communicationbetween one and then another of the fuel tanks is established through the passageway l6 and outlet port I of the valve through, the supply pipe 2, through the fuel pump.3 and thence to the carbureter I.

.' To automatically cause the fuel in the reserve tank II to be placed-in communication through the fuel pump 3 with the, carbureter I. upon the main tank It or the'other reserve tank I 2 be; coming empty'of fuel, a fluid pressure operated by-pas's valve l 1Q and branch conduits l8 and I9 are provided in the system, which by-passes the fuel around the selector valve 5. The by-pass valve ll comprises casing 20, which is closed at compartment 23 and 24, respectively, within the casing. The upper compartment." of the casing is smaller'than the lower compartment 24 and is placed in communication with the conduit I4 leadingfrom the reserve tank II to the-selector valve 5 by means of the-branch conduit l8 and theJower compartment '24 is placed in communiduit l9 which extends from the supply pipe at 25 to' the upper end atof the lower compartment. The partition 221sprovided with a beveled opening 21 which is controlled by a valve 28, having a beveled surface 29 adapted to engage the partition opening, the said valve 28 being 55 mounted on the upper end of a bellows 30. The bellows 30, which may be made of resilient metal or other suitable collapsible material is open'at its lower end, where it is threadably secured to the lower end of the casing 20 and is placed in communication with the. supply pipe 2- leading to the carbureter I by means of a branch conduit 3| which is connectedat one end with the supply pipe at 32, between the carburetor l and the fuel pump 3 with the other end of the conduit 3! extending up through the cap 2| into the bellows 30. An adjustable coil spring 33; which is in tension is provided in the bellows 30, the upper end of the spring being suitably secured to the upper end of the bellows and the lower end thereof encircles the free end of the conduit 3| extending into the bellows and is adapted to engage the inner surface of an adjusting nut 34 which is screw-threadably mounted on the cap 2| of the casing 20 the said adjusting nut 34 being adapted to adjust the tension of the spring,

so as to permitthe bellg ws 30 to collapse prior to the complete drop in pressure of the. fuel pump, whereby the valve 28 is caused to uncover the valve opening '29 for admitting fuel into the branch conduit I9 leading'from the by-pass valve 11 to the fuel supply pipe 2, and thus preventing any introduction of air into the system including the fuel pump.

In the operation of the invention; assuming,

that the tanks l0, ii and 12, have been filled with fuel, and the valve 15 operated to cause the fuel passageway 16 of thevalve to be in communication with the main fuel tank i0 whereby the fuel in the main tank is caused to flow through the conduit l3 through the inlet port 1 of the valve casing 6 into the outlet port 4 of the valve, and thence into the supply pipe 2 through the fuel pump 3 into the carbureter I; some of the fuel in the supply pipe is forced by the fuel pump through the conduit 39 into-the bellows 30, thereby causing the bellows to be expanded upwardly against the action of the coil spring 33 which causes the valve 28 on the upper end of the bellows to be moved upwardly into engagement with the opening 21 in the partition 22 of the casing 20. The fuel in the reserve tank I! is caused to enter the branch conduit 18 leading from the conduit l4 into the u per compartment 23 of the casing. As the fuel in the main tank H1 is used, the amount of fuel which is delivered by the fuel pump 3 to the carbureter I and forced into the bellows 30 is gradually reduced, thereby causing the bellows to collapse under the action of the spring 33 and removing the valve 28 from the opening 21 in the partition of the casing,

with the partition opening 21 of the casing,

thus causing the fuel from the reserve tank I l to enter the lower compartment 24 of the casing 20 and in turn pass into the branch conduit l9 leading to the supply pipe 2. Upon an increase of fuel in the supply pipe from the reserve tank II, the pressure of the fuel from the fuel pump is increased, thus-causing thefuel pump to force some of the fuel inthe supply pipe into the bellows again through the branch conduit 3|, thus causing the bellows to expand and force the valve 28 on its upper end into engagement whereby any fuel from-the upper compartment 24 of the casing is prevented from entering the conduit l3 leading to the supply pipe 2 from the I lower compartment 24 of the casing. This cycle of"operation is repeated until the selector valve 5 is manually rotated by the handle 1 to cause the fuel passageway l6 of the valve to be in II to again supply its fuel to the carbureter through the fuel pump.

It will thus beseen that a highly novel and eihcient form of a fuel control system for vehicles is provided, which is well adapted for the purpose indicated, and even though I have herein described certain features of construction and operation of parts, it is nevertheless to be understood that various changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.

Having described by invention, what I claim as new and wish to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a fuel supply system for aircraft and the like having a plurality of fuel containers, 2. main fuel supply conduit, branch conduits connecting the main conduit to the several containers, manually operated means controlling the fuel from the containers and automatic means "by- "passed from one of the containers around the first mentioned means to the main fuel supply conduit and adapted to be operated in response to the exhaustion of fuel of any other container for supplying the fuel from the container bypassed around the manually operated means to the main conduit, said automatic meansincluding a fluid pressure operated device.

2. In a fuel supply system for aircraft and. the like having a plurality of fuel containers, a main fuel supply conduit, branch conduits connecting the main conduit to the several containers, a multi-way valve controlling the fuel delivery from the containers into the main supply conduit.

manual control means connected to operate said valve directed to-connect said containers in succession to supply fuel to the main conduit and means connected indirectly from one of said containers around ,said manual control means to --automatically connect said last mentioned container to supply its fuel to the main conduit as the fuel supply in any of the other containers is exhausted.

- 3. In a fuel supply system for aircraft and the 1 like'having a plurality of fuel containers, a main fuel supply conduit, branch wnduits connecting the main conduit to the several containers, manually operated means controlling the fuel from the containers and automatic means bypassed from one of the containers around the manually operated means to the main conduit and adapted to be operated in response to the exhaustion of fuel from any other container for supplying the fuel from'the container :by-passed arounmthe manually operated means to the main conduit, said automatic means including a valve opening, an expansible and collapsible-membet connected to communicate with the main fuel conduit, valve-means controlled by the bellows and adapted to control the valve opening, whereby fuel from the container lay-passed around the manually controlled valve may supply its fue. to the main conduit and cut off the "fuel suppl:

from the lay-passed container until the manually control means is operated 'to connect anothe1 container in connection with the main suppl: conduit. I

4. In a fuel supply system for aircraft and thl like having a plurality of fuel containers, a man fuel supply conduit, branch conduits connecting the main conduit to the several containers, manually operated means controlling; the fuel from the containers and automatic means bypassed from one of the containers around the manually operated means-to the main conduit for supplying'the, fuel from the last mentionedcontainer to the main conduit, said automatic means comprising a" casing including a partition member, anupper and v lower compartment in the casing formed by the partition member, said upper compartment connected to be supplied with fuel from the last mentioned container and said lower compartment connected to supply fuel from the upper compartment to the main conduit, a valve opening in the partition of said casing, a fluid pressure operated valve, including a bellows connected to be actuated in response to the exhaustion of the supply of fuel from any connected container to operate the valve and thereby open the valve opening in said partition to connect the by-passed container to supply its fuel to the main conduit and to close the valve opening upon a freshsupply of fuel being applied to the main conduit.

5. In a fuel supply system for aircraft and the like having a plurality of fuel containers, a main fuel supply conduit,v branch conduits connecting the main conduit to the several containers, means controlling the fuel from the containers and automaticmeans for Icy-passing fuel from :one' of the containers aroundthe first mentioned means, said automatic means including a casing, a bellows mounted in the casing and connected to beactuated in response to the exhaustion of the supply of fuel from any connected container and a retractable spring adjustably mounted on the casing and adapted to assist in the operation of the bellows.

EDWARD M. GAVIN. 

